Renaissance The Renaissance meaning rebirth is the activity, spirit, or time of great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe beginning in the 14th century to the 17th century, marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world. The Renaissance was important because it awakened the world from a very long dark period. The Middle Ages or Dark Ages had crushed people's dreams and forced them into a meaningless pattern of life because of the scarcity of artistic and cultural expression compared to other times. The Renaissance period brought progression, change, and beauty. Artists, scientists, and scholars began to look back at the attainments of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, study the classical texts and create their own accomplishments using the knowledge they acquired. Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian writer, historian, diplomat, and humanist who made many contributions during the Renaissance period. He …show more content…
The Church of Rome led by the pope has intense criticism that resulted in various reformational currents and the formation of several Protestant church reformations. The reformation is important because the critical views of the religious sphere deeply impacted the spiritual, social, and cultural terrain, as well as the political sphere. Without the reformation, the power and corruption within the Catholic Church would have continued to grow. John Wycliffe was an important man during the reformation. He translated some of the first versions of the Bible in English. He placed great emphasis on scripture advocating Bible centered Christianity. The theories that he developed required the church to give up its worldly possessions. He began an attack on the beliefs and practices of the church because he thought it was corrupt such as the sale of indulgences, pilgrimages, and the low moral and intellectual standards of ordained